49ers rookies Winters, Willis set to make NFL debut in Week 2
Sep 17, 2023, 12:24 PM
Loren Elliott/Getty Images
The San Francisco 49ers will be close to full strength Sunday afternoon, while also promoting two rookies to make their NFL debuts.
The 49ers have both linebacker Dee Winters and tight end Brayden Willis active for Week 2’s clash with the Los Angeles Rams. Both men were healthy scratches for Week 1, now getting their NFL debut the following week. Joining them on the debut list is cornerback Tre Swilling, a second-year prospect.
Winters & Willis have had solid starts to their NFL tenure, playing vital roles during the preseason. Seen as long shots to make the 53-man roster after being late-round picks in the spring, both players have earned the trust of the 49ers to suit up Sunday.
Meanwhile, Swilling’s appearance comes after the 49ers placed fellow CB Samuel Womack on IR Saturday due to a knee injury. Womack will miss at least the next four weeks, with a return slated in about six to eight weeks’ time.
Besides that, San Francisco is fully healthy entering SoFi Stadium Sunday, ready to enter another chapter in this storied rivalry with the Rams. The 49ers have an eight-game-regular-season win streak on their divisional foes, dating back to 2019.
Despite that, the Red & Gold won’t take L.A. lightly, expecting a tough matchup on the road.
#49ers TE Brayden Willis and LB Dee Winters will make their NFL debuts today after they were inactive in Week 1. https://t.co/QnVDtzAg2u
— Eric Branch (@Eric_Branch) September 17, 2023
“There’s a lot of new guys out there, them playing in one game and trying to figure out some of their new players that you don’t have a history with. But, once you turn on the tape and try to see it, yeah, you don’t know some of the guys, but you definitely know 99 [Aaron Donald] and you know the quarterback and then you watch the schemes and nothing’s really different,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday.
49ers Inactives for Week 2:
- QB Brandon Allen (emergency QB)
- OL Nick Zakelj
- LB Jalen Graham
- RB Tyrion Davis-Price
- DL Kalia Davis
Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule
- Sunday, September 17th @ Los Angeles Rams – 1:05 PM PST
- Thursday, September 21st vs. New York Giants – 5:15 PM PST
- Sunday, October 1st vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:25 PM PST
- Sunday, October 8th vs. Dallas Cowboys – 5:20 PM PST
- Sunday, October 15th @ Cleveland Browns – 10:00 AM PST
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